A fishing lure is an artificial object tied onto the end of a fishing line and used to attract fish. Used in conjunction with a fishing rod and fishing reel, a skilled angler casts and retrieves the fishing lure to mimic a swimming, waddling, dropping, pulsing, twitching, fizzing or popping action to imitate prey as it moves through the water. An angler may also utilize a jigging action wherein the fishing lure is dropped into the water and vertically moved, or jigged, up and down via the attached fishing line. The fishing lure is designed to resemble the prey of a particular type of fish: earthworms, caterpillars, grubs, frogs, crawfish, minnows, lizards, and insects. The color, appearance, vibration, and movement of the fishing lure as it travels through the water attract the attention of fish, inciting fish to bite the lure. Fishing lures are further equipped with a single, double, treble or quad hook(s) of various sizes, shapes, and spacing. The hooks become embedded in the fish after the fishing lure has been bitten or swallowed by the fish.
Historically, fish hooks were carved by ancient man out of bone or molded out of bronze. The Greek and Roman civilizations advocated fishing for sport, creating fly-fishing lures of feathers, bronze, horsehair, and wild boar bristles. In the United States during the early 1800s, fishing lures were made by individual craftsmen whittling wood or pounding metal into a shape that resembled live bait. However, the unnatural movement of these lures as they traveled through the water left much to be improved upon. Manufacturing of fishing lures began to slowly evolve from individual craftsmen to commercial ventures during the late 1800s to early 1900s. More recently, the development of soft plastic compositions and injection molding techniques have produced fishing lures that more closely resemble live bait. Soft plastic baits encompass a variety of different lures, such as soft swimbaits with square or paddletails, stickbaits and worms, and creature baits. Generally, soft plastic baits comprise a solid, flexible plastic tube. Tentacles, fins, legs, claws, antennas, tails, and other types of appendages may be incorporated into the design to resemble particular types of fish prey. A hook is typically pierced through the lure, after which an angler casts and retrieves the lure utilizing various motions in an attempt to imitate live bait swimming through the water. While such a lure has its own advantages, a significant disadvantage remains as the solid, plastic tube does not independently move while it is drawn through the water as compared to live bait.
Thus, a desire remains to further develop soft plastic baits that incorporate unique natural movements while offering a concealed position for the hook(s) to attract fish and make it easier to set the lure in a fish's mouth.